`Abortion Party`?

July 27, 1988|By Mary Anne Hackett, President, Illinois Right to Life Committee.

CHICAGO — In a letter, Joan Rappaport of the National Abortion Rights Action League comments that the Democratic Party has always understood and protected the rights of all members of society. Not true. In its platform, the Democratic Party ignores the rights of 1.5 million members of society every year who are killed by abortion.

She claims the NARAL poll of January, 1988, shows that by a 2-1 margin the voters oppose a constitutional ban on abortion; yet when asked if there should be a constitutional amendment to protect the unborn, a majority of voters support that. It is clear that polls depend on how the question is asked and represent the views of those who commission them.

The Democratic Party has become the party of abortion-not just tolerating an evil but an aggressive policy to keep abortion legal and funded by the taxpayer. This is evidenced by the flip-flop on abortion by every Democratic contender for the office of president, except Gov. Dukakis, of course. He was pro-abortion long before the plank was added to the Democratic platform, long before abortion was legal.

No commitment to legal abortion can represent humane social policy. Any candidate who supports and promotes the killing of 1.5 million unborn children a year is disqualified for public office.